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Saturday, May 17, 2014

Mr. Okon Effiong Ekpenyong who is a lecturer in the Department of Business Management, University of Calabar (Unical), Cross River State, lost four of his teeth after he was allegedly knocked by some officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service in Calabar for traffic violation.

Punch reported that Mr. Ekpenyong vehicle developed a minor fault on Bassey Oqua Street in Calabar, near the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) headquarters in the state. Ekpenyong said after fixing it, he was leaving the area when the officials descended on him and assaulted him, saying he made a U-turn at an unauthorised point.

Mr. Ekpenyong Says:

"After my car developed a fault, I called some passerby to assist me push it off the road and I went home to call my two sons to buy fuel in a jerry-can because I suspected it had run out of petrol since the fuel gauge was faulty.

I tried tried starting the car after refueling, but it still did not start. We had to push it down the Bassey Oqua Street, which is close to the NIS residential quarters. Immediately the car started, two NIS officials flagged me down; I obeyed. They said I had just made a U-turn at an unauthorised point and they concluded that I was a Boko Haram suspect, adding that they would not waste time in dealing with me. Before I knew it, about 10 other officials joined them, they forced me out of the car and started hitting me with gun butts and other weapons. I passed out in the process."Mr. Ekpenyong said before he lost consciousness, he was able to identify of the officials – a deputy comptroller, a chief superintendent and a male and female junior officials.

He said when he gained consciousness in NIS cell, a senior NIS official, who identified himself as the provost, begged and released him to take care of himself in a hospital. The lecturer said he then went to the Airport Police Division in Calabar to report the incident from where he was taken to the Police Clinic for medical attention.

A report, which was issued by an investigating police officer, Edwin Jenuwa, confirmed that Ekpenyong was taken to the clinic at about 6.pm with fresh wounds on his body.